Stand-alone CD version of what’s already being
hailed as “what
might just turn out to be the finest album of 2018”!Danny Wilkerson is a Texas native who has been making music for many
years (most notably as a drummer/vocalist for the Pengwins, a pop band that includes
labelmate Lannie Flowers).Kudos go out to
John Borack who, in our opinion, sums the record up beautifully “Sometimes an
album is just so good – so perfect in nearly every way – that I feel the need
to shout it from the rooftop. So please excuse me for a moment while I climb to
that rooftop to praise Danny
Wilkerson’s most excellent 10-song debut, a record that floored me on first
listen, and one that should be a cause for celebration for fans of
well-crafted, supremely melodic, lyrically meaningful pop music.Several years in the making, great care has
been taken with every aspect of its creation, from the deeply felt songwriting,
magnificent performances, and gloriously expansive arrangements and production
down to the pristine-sounding mastering. He was more than ably assisted during
the songwriting and recording phase of the record by singer/songwriter/producer
Bleu McAuley, whose imprint is all over the powerfully intoxicating songs. Other luminaries offering vocal and
instrumental support include Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish); Joe Seiders
(The New Pornographers); Jesse McGinty; the Boston Symphony Strings; and Pat
Buchanan (Idle Jets, Hall & Oates, Cyndi Lauper, Don Henley).While the contributions from his supporting
cast are certainly impressive, it’s Danny’s vision – always positive, upbeat
and thought-provoking – that makes this album the special gift that it is. Influences are plentiful – Beatles, ELO, Burt
Bacharach, Jellyfish, and various ‘70s and ‘80s hitmakers – but are never
overpowering.Rather, they’re sweet
little musical nods to those who have inspired Wilkerson and Bleu.Wilkerson’s pure, emotive lead vocals appear
right out of the box.Opener ‘Everybody
Loves to Love,’ begins with a Bacharach-inspired flugelhorn bit, then moves on
to a jaunty, Jellyfish-informed verse which feeds into a chorus that just may
have been inspired by Tears for Fears’ ‘Sowing the Seeds of Love.’ But before the listener gets too comfortable,
the tune takes a quick detour into more rocking, almost surf music territory,
with Wilkerson intoning, “I’m just looking for a sitar and a Hofner/a
Rickenbacker and a giant stack of ‘ahhhs’” – which, of course, is followed by
giants stacks of said “ahhhs,” delivered in a near Queen-like fashion. From
there, the song takes a mellower turn, with Roger Manning’s ethereal keyboards
taking center stage until the song winds to a conclusion. Not unlike one of
Paul McCartney’s late ‘60s/early ‘70s episodic pieces, a wonderfully evocative
piece of work that neatly folds the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s into one five-minute
tune that sounds wholly current. And that’s just the first song!From there, the hits just keep on comin’ –
and as a matter of fact, the next number, ‘Enough for Somebody,’ is a joyous
romp that fairly explodes from the speakers, and is hooked by McGinty’s horns,
a wonderful melody and Wilkerson’s confident vocals. ‘Endless Haze’ is a
powerful, cautionary tale of drowning in the bottle, with some clever lyrical
turns (“When I pour, it rains” and “I can’t outrun my makers mark”) and an ‘Eleanor
Rigby’-inspired string quartet as the sole instrumental accompaniment. ‘You
Still Owe Me a Kiss’ is another full-bodied pop song with an unshakeable
chorus, and ‘When Your Number’s Up’ is a lovely rumination on life and death,
with a quirky little mid-song interlude that recalls McCartney’s ‘Woke up, got
out of bed…’ bit on ‘A Day in the Life.’The ebullient ‘Too Much of a Good Thing’ sounds like some sort of
perfect world intersection of Supertramp, 10cc and ELO at their poppiest. ‘How
She Lost My Heart’ has an insistent melody and a distinctly psychedelic vibe,
with a ‘Ticket to Ride’-styled drumbeat throughout. A vaguely McCartneyesque influence is apparent
on the mid-tempo ‘Carry the One’ (with a strong vocal performance from Wilkerson
and some tasty massed backing vocals), and ‘Let it Go Tonight’ is a strong
contender for ‘Best of Show’ honors. With an acoustic guitar figure reminiscent
of Tom Petty’s ‘Free Fallin’’ and some sharp slide guitar action from Bleu, the
tune glides along on another memorable melody.The disc closes out with an absolutely gorgeous, ‘circle of life’ number
titled ‘Comes in Waves.’ Over nothing more than a beautiful Roger Manning piano
figure and Isaiah Gage’s perfectly placed cello, Wilkerson (with Manning also
providing some beautiful backing vocals on the bridge) turns the song into an
emotional, near-spiritual experience. Simply lovely, and a fitting capper to a
wonderful album that truly is a feast for the ears.”GREAT!!

In
need of a creative rebirth after years on the music industry margins, John
Brodeur, the man behind Bird Streets (the name is derived from a tiny real estate
enclave in the Hollywood Hills), reached out to his fr
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Blakes
latest is his debut on the fast-growing Big Stir Records label roster. Yeah,
but what kind of music do you play? Blake Jones has been
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The Shapes That Shift UsPrice: $13.00Artist: Brad SenneDescription: When we first met Brad it was via his Beight project which we liked a whole bunch. This, his 2008 solo outing that, while a bit more quiet, and with its gorgeous, bare minimum accompaniement, perfectly fits our "Sunday Morning Pop" playlist with its Elliott Smith-like whispy-ness throughout! "Sometimes, it seems like a pie
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Star CafePrice: $18.00Artist: Cleaners From VenusDescription:This
DIY musical was written and produced by Martin Newell during 2017 in usual
sloppy lo-fi fashion on a 4-track Tascam Pocketstudio.Stand-alone CD version of what’s already being
hailed as “what
might just turn out
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Escaping From A SubmarinePrice: $10.00Artist: Hollow HorseDescription: On their third album fvrom 2008, this Glasgow band continue on their (very successful) mission to produce quality pop music with no compromises. Brimming with first-rate songwriting and musical accompaniment! Geordie guitar legend Paul Rose joined the band for a day of sessions and delivered the awesome guitar work on "So
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Five Year DiaryPrice: $10.00Artist: Hollow HorseDescription: Kudos to Raymond Weir of The Eisenhowers for steering Hollow Horse to us - and we are absolutely thrilled that he did! This is the little gem from 2002 that started it all! "Wouldn't all bands love to produce a first album like this one, every track well worth a play. 'Soft Place to Fall', 'Little Dove Hill' and the ... read more »

With influences ranging from Weezer to
Grandaddy, ELO, The Beach Boys and more - NYC/UK based rockers Luv Dot Gov have
been bringing their unique brand of indie rock to both sides of the pond sin
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Michael Slawter
holds a doctorate in the dialect of power pop, his songs are heavily influenced
by the masters that came before him, but at the same time he has created his
own unique style.read more »

Nick
Piunti began his musical journey as a 12 year old in his first band. He began
writing songs immediately and though thePapernut Cambridge are
one of those peculiar little bands, who carve a niche for themselves within
their field, then continue to release album after album of the most wond
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As
most probably know, Pete is a founding member of power pop mainstays The Figgs
and also spent time with Terry Adams legendary NRBQ. On Phases Of The
Moon, his many years of music explorat
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Richard
Turgeon’s music has been described as “California pop” and has been compared to
that of Matthew Sweet, Bob Mould, R.E.M., Guided by Voices, and Teenage
Fanclub, among others.&nbsp
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SlumberjetPrice: $13.00Artist: SlumberjetDescription: Slumberjet, a Dublin based pop trio led by Barry O'Brien, released this brilliant debut in 2010. His songwriting has been compared to the likes of The Beatles, Elvis Costello, XTC, and Elliott Smith. For the last several years Barry has made guest appearances with Pugwash - so you know his head and heart are certainl
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The Everything PillPrice: $11.00Artist: Spinning LucyDescription: A very impressive 2008 debut from this Philadelphia-based guitar and harmony-filled pop/rock group that successfully combines their individual influences from the ’70s such as Big Star and Cheap Trick abound as well as modern day pop rock influences such as Fountains of Wayne and Jimmy Eat World. Radio-friendly (in a good ... read more »

After
nearly a decade of toiling away at things DIY-style, The Great Affairs finally have
gone and signed with a label (Kivel Records) for the The long-awaited
follow-up to 2007's fantastic "Gallimaufry," “Torch Songs for
Swingers” is a continuation of the impeccable song craft and eclectic
instrumentation they’re known for, but with some unexpected twist
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Formed in Milan in 1979 and
active until 1983, The Mads became true underground legends on the Italian Mod
scene - the recordings of that era remained unreleased until last year, when
they were f
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ATTENTION FANS OF THE
PRISONERS!!On this, their third full length,
2018
is a milestone year for The Posies, who began their career exactly 30 years
prior by releasing a home-recorded cassette called "Failure.It became an instant favorite around the
Northwest, ea
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Released in 2013 as a download-only, the second
full-length studio album The Stan Laurels makes its CD debut on the Kool Kat
label, containing score and songs featured in the independent motion
picture “read more »

The 2009 debut full-length by John Lathrop as The
Stan Laurels. Being a full-blown concept album, it is a psychedelic
pop/rock/prog debut of epic proportions. The concept? Boy meets girl, boy gets
abducted by alien
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The Two Sided FacePrice: $14.00Artist: The SupahipDescription:"The
Two Sided Face" was 12 years in the making, and is the follow up to 2007's
"Seize The World". It sees
Sydney based men of the world Mark Moldre and Michael Carpenter continue to
dive into their in
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In this issue (and on the
cover), cool and colossal cover stories on West Coast psychedelic garage
monsters The Other Half (featuring future Blue Cheer guitarist Randy Holden), and
- dig this
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Celebrating the melodic drive of the Jayhawks, the
jangle of Big Star, and the dedication to structure and harmony of the Beach
Boys, William Duke continues his journey through psychedelic Americana on his
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